Back in April during the first Camp NaNoWriMo 2014, I was scribbling a couple of stories in a notebook while also typing away on Only by Moonlight. While one of these stories was the beginning of the sequel to Evening Star (still unnamed as yet), the other was written for a TwiFic Doctorward Contest. But I didn't have time to finish the story before the June 4 deadline, so I shelved it for a while, allowing it to simmer on my mind's back burner as I worked my (rather generous) behind off teaching both online and in the classroom in addition to homeschooling two teenaged boybarians.
When this month's Camp NaNoWriMo came around, I dusted off Doctorward and typed him up, adding a bit here and there. This past week gave him real substance, and by the time I sent him to the brilliant ladylibre, he was nearly ready for posting. She adored the story, giving me some great revisions where I got too wordy (naaah, never happens! <grin>), and stating that this one-shot was among the best stories I had ever written. Even my husband, who rarely reads my fiction, read it and really liked it, too.
So here is the beginning of this Doctorward tale entitled "Weeping May Endure for a Night...":
Weeping
May Endure for a Night…
by Cassandra Lowery
It was
nearly midnight when I finally got home. Only the darkness greeted me as I entered
and locked the door of our flat behind me. By force of habit, I dropped my keys
into the ceramic dish on the small entryway table. Loosening my tie, I peered
into the mirror hanging over the table, barely able to see myself in the glow
of the city lights shining through the open windows.
I looked
like crap. Dark shadows encircled beneath my eyes, and my face was paler than
usual, bordering on haggard.
That’s the kind of word she would have used
if she were here…”haggard.”
I turned away from the mirror
and paused in the kitchen doorway. Although I had managed to skip both lunch
and dinner, I knew that there was no way that I could eat tonight; the knot of
pain and grief in my stomach made the mere thought of food seem repulsive.
Trying to ignore the slight dizziness that accompanied my lack of sustenance, I
dropped onto the sofa—our sofa. Bella had loved it at first sight, choosing it
for its comfort and for its rather shabby, “homey” appearance.
She was so wise in such things.
Most of my colleagues’ wives
were focused on spending their physician husbands’ pay as quickly as it was
earned, frittering away huge sums on designer clothing and spa treatments,
decorating and redecorating their expensive homes as their main occupation, and
sporting the latest model BMW, Audi, or Mercedes-Benz.
Not my Bella.
God, I missed her.
She had decorated our home with estate sale finds, getting up at ungodly hours nearly every Saturday morning to comb through the eclectic neighborhoods of Chicago, dragging home a bureau, a bookcase, an end table, an armchair, or some other “amazing find”—along with stacks and stacks of ancient books that she “just couldn’t resist.”
When I
objected to the number of books she trundled home, she’d grin unrepentantly and
declare that it was the price I had to pay for marrying a writer.
How I adored that mischievous grin….
I hope that you'll enjoy reading "Weeping May Endure for a Night..." on both Wattpad.com and on FanFiction.net.
I also updated Only by Moonlight last night as well, adding Chapter 14. I'm currently working on a draft of Chapter 15, and I hope to finish drafting Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 before the close of Camp NaNoWriMo. I know that I won't reach my goal of 30,000 words being written this month, but I have written, revised, editing, and polished two pieces of writing which add up to nearly 9,000 words, revising and polishing them at least four times each.
During August, I'll be preparing for Year #18 of home education in which I'll be teaching our high schoolers in grades 9 and 12, plus preparing for three online Brave Writer courses (two of which are new Literary Analysis classes), and two courses for our home school group's co-op Class Days, one of which is a new Shakespeare class that will require a lot of preparation. But I'm still hoping to tuck more raw writing into the corners of my days (and nights) so that when fall arrives, I am hoping not to leave you hanging for two months again! :)
Happily writing,
~Cassandra :)
